"-don't love the bottle, but the bottle loves me.

One for the memory, two for the pain. Singing don't love the bottle with a deeper disdain."

Battling Daisy wasn't that difficult. She was as easy to beat as her sisters, though I still didn't quite understand what it was I was supposed to be listening to when it came to my pokémon. I thought, out of everyone, they were the ones I listened to.

Is it… because I'm over-protective of them? I'm too cautious and reluctant to send them into danger, despite knowing their capabilities? I'm not… trusting them enough?

I…

I'm just… scared. I'm scared for them. I don't want them hurt, I don't want them to cause hurt, but I know it's going to have to happen if we want to have any hope of defeating Team Rocket. I know I'm going to have to be merciless if I want to save the children and the abused pokémon.

I know… I'm going to have to stoop to their level if I want to win.

After what happened with Blue, seeing how badly he had gotten hurt, seeing how close to death he was, I can't show any weakness to the enemy. I can't show them any kindness. Not that I want to, anyway. I want to make them suffer.

I want them to experience the exact kind of pain they inflicted on us for so long.

I want them to realize what they're doing is wrong. I want them to repent. I want them to atone. I want them to never be forgiven, and struggle day after day after day trying to earn that impossible forgiveness. I want them to hurt.

But… that's not going to happen. I need to focus on getting stronger, on raising my pokémon, on keeping Brock and Blue safe, and I need to focus on saving everyone. I can't do that if I'm busy with thoughts of revenge.

When it's all over…

If I win…

When Team Rocket is defeated and they're all put behind bars for their crimes…

Then I'll raise Adrien myself. We'll… live somewhere safe, quiet, away from people who could hurt us. I'll take care of him just like I had been doing before I left. I'll make sure he won't have to cry in pain ever again. He'll grow up happy.

I won't… allow his personality or his sense of self… to be completely erased, like mine had.

And so, as I approached Misty, our clothes and hair still dripping wet from the water, I found myself standing taller with a newfound resolve. I didn't know what it was I saw earlier in my reflection- an illusion, a vision, a memory- but what it was had nothing to do with what was happening now. I needed to beat the gym leader and rush out of here as soon as possible to not only reach the next gym, but to escape the goon that was following me and my friends.

Steeling myself, I inhaled deeply- and proceeded to raise my gaze to meet Misty's own.

The gym leader grinned, green eyes flashing mischievously. Misty clapped her hands together. "You made it! Outside of that little accident, I had nothing to worry about! Your pokēmon are quite tough… which makes me wonder; what is your policy on pokēmon? Your approach? I'm starting to think you're a lot like me- going for an all-out offensive!"

She did a little spin and popped her hip out, one hand resting delicately on it while the other struck a pose in the air- the girl holding two fingers up in a peace sign as she winked at me, a pokēball held carefully against her palm.

"Misty, the world famous beauty, is your host! My sweet pokēmon are ready!"

The ten-year-old gym leader brought the pokēball up to her lips, giving it a small kiss. She smirked at me.

"Are yours?"

"Evaa!" Ansem barked, and within seconds he was leaping off my shoulder and landing in front of Basil, ears perked high as he challenged Misty to a duel. "Vaa!"

"Oh?" Misty raised a brow, then looked at me. I furrowed my brows, gazing down at the Eevee and wondering if this is what had been meant before about listening to my pokēmon. "Looks like he wants to battle. Will you do as he wants? Either way, I won't be holding back!"

Ansem turned back to look at me, determination burning in his red eyes. I hesitated, and then took a deep breath. I nodded. "Fine. Basil, come here."

"Saur!"

The Ivysaur waddled over to stand next to me, nuzzling my leg, and Ansem cheered loudly. Belladonna hugged me tighter with her leafy arms. "You got this, Ansem. Take her down!"

"Evaa!"

…

Steven remembered being confused at first.

Why was there a little girl passed out in the street in the middle of the night? Why was she dressed so weird, and why were her clothes all wet? Steven doesn't recall exactly what he was doing that night- he was probably on his way to the pokēcenter after excavating all the stones he found to heal up Titanium, who had been merely a Beldum at that point. But he saw her, and he was confused and concerned and so many other things he didn't really understand.

So he woke her.

He found it strange that she didn't remember anything, but that only compelled him even more to help. He didn't recognize her- and being his father's son, he knew everyone in Rustboro City. She had no parents, no name, no memories. He took it upon himself to watch over her. To be her friend. Steven was never very good at making friends, especially as a child, as he wasn't the most socially adept and had to be very careful when choosing who to trust due to his inheritance, so at that point in time the only person he could call a friend was Wallace.

Wallace was just as eccentric as Steven, after all, if not more so, and was extremely accepting of his interests. Unlike the other children, he didn't make fun of him for it, and he was also training to take over his master's position as gym leader, all the while working to fulfill his dream of becoming a contest star. As such, Steven had actually been hoping he could introduce him to the girl some time, that way they could all be friends. It was even more exciting to think about them all eventually traveling the world with their pokēmon, training and battling and earning gym badges together. But then, on the very next day, she was gone.

And nine years had passed.

Despite his intuition screaming at him that she was still alive, Steven had given in- however momentarily- to the words of others saying she was lost for good.

But now… he was sure of it. That trainer inside the gym was her. She was alive.

And… he didn't quite know how to process that.

Emotions were never his strong suit. He's always buried anything intense away, locking it up and distracting himself instead to cope. It's what he did when his mother was killed, and it's what he did when he gave up his search for his missing friend. It's what he was doing now, in an attempt to regain his composure and calm down. He had already been fairly convinced it was her, but seeing her appearance after Misty pulled her out of the water… it just solidified what he already believed.

She's really alive…

She's alive and… has absolutely no idea how her memory has haunted him all these years.

Steven breathed in shakily, hand against his face, and exhaling slowly he dragged his fingers down to rest against his chest. His heart was still racing, trying to beat itself out of his chest from sheer relief and mild horror. He was happy- don't get him wrong. Steven was so incredibly pleased to know she was alive after all these years. It's all he ever wanted since the day she was taken away.

But… the implications of everything else-

The abuse, the neglect, the malnourishment-

The explosion in Viridian Forest-

Her teaming up with both Pewter City's former gym leader and Professor Oak's grandson-

It all left such a bitter taste on Steven's tongue, his stomach churning and twisting uncomfortable as his heart sunk painfully within his chest. He was more than aware that her survival meant suffering, that her being alive meant that she had lived through horrors certainly unimaginable, but having it as reality… and having that reality settle in… led to an entirely different sort of awareness.

It made his guilt even stronger and more suffocating than ever before.

"Steven…"

The young man was leaning against the wall outside the gym. Hearing Lorelei's voice, he snapped himself out of his thoughts with a sharp inhale and turning to look at her. Steven blinked, then forced a smile on his lips. "Ah- do forgive me, Lorelei." He pulled himself away from the wall, standing straight and fixing his black suit. "I seem to have caused you worry."

She shook her head. Lashes fluttering, Lorelei looked to the side- then up at him, her icy gaze not devoid of compassion or sympathy. She could only imagine the sorts of things running through his mind right now, and judging from his face… none of them were good. "That child- she's the one you spoke of… isn't she? The one you mentioned back in Pewter City."

Steven turned his gaze away, staring into the entrance of the gym were the final battle was surely taking place. "...Most likely."

"You say that as if you aren't convinced."

He remained silent, a shadow falling over his face as he folded his arms over his chest. "There's no certifiable proof. I am… simply making assumptions based on previous observations. Given the way Team Rocket is rumored to treat the children they've forced under their care, her overly young appearance could be due to the mistreatment rather than her actual age. If that's the case, then she could very well be the girl."

Lorelei's red eyes bore into him for a long moment, the slightly older woman calculating his words and reading his every movement. Carefully, she shifted all of her weight onto her right foot and leaned her side against the wall, pushing up her glasses.

A heavy silence passed over them.

"Then why are you so distraught?" Lorelei finally asked, her voice quiet.

Taking one more deep breath, Steven lifted his head- a bitter smile crossing his lips as he gazed at her. "I'm afraid we're not close enough for me to answer that question, Miss Lorelei."

Call him childish, call him immature; at the moment, he couldn't care less. But the pain that he had kept buried for so long was tearing itself anew, leaving him raw and vulnerable and… feeling so incredibly guilty. The dawn stone in his pocket has never felt heavier.

Did that girl remember him at all? Did she blame him, just as he blames himself? He could still remember the way her hand had tightened its grip on his, reluctant to go with the stranger that claimed he was there to help. The stranger Steven knew had felt off, but had still not only disregarded his own suspicion but also the fear of the person that was clinging to him, who was silently asking for his help.

Steven would understand it if she hated him.

If she had cursed his name and threw away the stone he gave her.

If she had forgotten about him, or only remembered him with hatred.

It was nothing less than what he deserved for having failed to protect her. All Steven can really be grateful for is that she's alive, and has two very powerful allies by her side, as well as pokēmon that clearly cared deeply for her.

Steven supposes he has his answer, too- from the question he had asked so long ago.

With that thought in mind, he walked passed a stunned Lorelei back into the gym, not at all surprised to see that Misty had been defeated. The brunette trainer, despite being soaked head-to-toe, caught her rather large Eevee in her arms and nuzzled her cheek against his own furry one, a small Weepinbell balanced carefully on her shoulder. The Ivysaur was waving his vines about happily, and Steven slowly made his way back to the audience, watching with melancholic eyes as her two companions approached her. Concerned over her wellbeing, yet proud of her victory as she accepted the badge from Misty.

She survived for so long, resilient and brave, fighting to live despite all those who sought to destroy her.

Truly, Steve mused, leaning against the rail and propping a hand up against his chin, grass-type pokémon do suit her best.

Steven can only hope that the pokēmon that will hatch from the egg incubators will be just as caring and affectionate towards her, and will be willing to become strong enough to protect her from any threat. Otherwise, what little mental stability Steven has left may just break apart for good.

He lost his mother as a child…

There's no way he can lose his friend, too.

Not again.

…

I received the Cascade Badge in honor of my victory. With that badge, pokēmon up to level thirty from other trainers would listen to me, and I would also be able to teach water-type pokēmon how to use the move Scald.

It wasn't as helpful a move as I was hoping to receive, but… who knows- the next badge might be better. I'm just glad I got through this gym. Brock and Blue were, too, evidently, seeing as they were now currently fussing over me.

"And you're sure you're okay?" Brock asked, frowning deeply as he tried to dry my face with a small handkerchief. I leaned away, trying to escape his excessive doting, but he was stubborn and just moved closer. "You scared me out of my wits back there! If it wasn't for Misty, then-"

"I-I'm sorry. I'm okay now, though, so-"

Even Blue didn't look all that convinced, the boy carefully holding the egg incubator in his arms. "Squirt, you fell into the water. You're a mess."

"I'm fine." I ducked to escape Brock's handkerchief, keeping hold of Ansem and Belladonna while I did so, and carefully popped back up into a standing position behind the two boys. "L-Let's just hurry and get out of here."

"Oh, already?" Misty asked, surprised. "I thought we could catch up while you were here."

What?

Confusion flitted across my features when she said that, not understanding at all why Misty would want to talk to me. I was just about to open my mouth and explain that we didn't have time to do so, when Brock raised a hand up and spoke for me. "Maybe next time, Misty. We're sort of being followed by some bad people, so we need to get to the next town as soon as possible."

"Wait, seriously?" Her expression turned dark. "Is it Team Rocket? Vermillion City isn't that far- you can cut through the underground path near the Daycare Center if you want a shortcut."

"Huh?" Brock's eyebrows raised. "Wait, I thought we needed to take the S.S Anne to get to Vermillion?"

"No, no." She snorted at that and shook her head, amused by our blunder. "It comes into port at Vermillion City. You don't have to take it to get there. I'll actually be boarding the ship myself once I'm done with trainers for the day. I got my own ticket a couple of days ago from some nice people."

I wasn't sure what it was, but something about her comment bothered me.

"Oooh… hm." Brock raised a hand to his chin, humming. "Well, that's not good. We received three tickets from a friend who helped us out after we found Blue, but now…"

"I'm sure you can use the cruise to reach Celadon City." Misty said, folding her arms over her chest as she went deep into thought. "Normally you would travel through Lavender Town to reach Celadon City, but apparently a lot of pokēmon have been going missing between Vermillion and Lavender Town, so Officer Jenny had the police close off the main route. Of course, there's also the rock tunnel east of here… but you guys need to head to Vermillion first for the next badge, right?"

"Yep."

She grinned. "I'll see you guys aboard the S.S Anne then." Misty then leaned over, hands on her hips as she grinned down at me. I tensed, hugging Ansem and Belladonna tighter. "I want to hear the full story of how you got these two goofballs to travel with you, El- as well as the story of why you changed your name. So make sure you tell me then! Stay safe!"

Blue scowled. "Who are you callin' goofy? You're the goof!"

"Aw, shut it."

"Whatever." The boy rolled his eyes and started to walk off, but not before Brock took the egg incubator from him. "Hey, I can still-"

"Nope, you're still wounded. Also, please summon your Arcanine when we leave. We'll ride him through the underground tunnel straight to Vermillion."

"Ugh, fine. I seriously don't know why we're running from the Team Rocket lackey when it's just one of him and three of us."

Wet sneakers squeaking against the glass as I cautiously followed Brock and Blue to the gym exit- eyes glancing about the audience nervously- I ignored the disgusting squishing sensation from my socks. "Because he's clever and I don't want to risk it while you're still recovering, and- Brock!"

"Hm?" The boy paused when he felt me latch onto his sleeve. He frowned when he saw me glancing to the side with wide eyes. I was gripping his sleeve so tight my knuckles had turned white. "What is it?"

"He's here."

In the audience, trying to make his way through the crowd, was the Team Rocket goon. To make matters worse, he even looked like he had an ally with him this time. She must be the acquaintance he had mentioned before.

Blue and Brock both stopped what they were doing upon hearing my words and looked at each other. The two boys nodded. Then, without warning, Blue pulled out a pokēball and we were all rushing towards the entrance, determined to escape, and within seconds of stepping out the door a giant fire-type pokēmon materialized, letting out a loud roar.

Arcanine.

He knelt down and Blue carefully climbed onto his back. He took the egg incubator from Brock. Brock then turned towards me, lifting me up onto the giant pokēmon, and just as he himself was climbing up- Basil leaping onto his backpack and clinging onto him with his vines- the gym doors started to open.

Arcanine, hearing that, began to run, and as I helped pull Brock up the rest of the way before he or my pokémon could fall off… none of us bothered to look back to see who had followed us out of the gym.

…

Lorelei sighed heavily, feeling a headache start to form.

Those kids really didn't waste any time in running away. She almost felt bad for Steven, knowing he was the cause of their panic.

"They really don't trust you, do they?"

Steven placed a hand on his hip and lightly tousled his hair, masking his pain with an exasperated sigh. "Apparently. The girl's convinced I'm with Team Rocket… though how she came to that conclusion I'm still not sure. All I can think of is that I must have come off as quite strange when I asked about her friends."

Lorelei hummed, folding her arms across her chest. "Either that or…"

The woman trailed off, realization hitting her. She looked at Steven, eyes wide, and the young man blinked upon seeing her stare. "What is it?"

"Do you think she could have recognized you?"

Steven stood there, completely and utterly stunned. Bringing a hand up to his chin, he thought about it. If the girl was who he believed her to be, it was a possibility; a slim possibility, given how long ago their meeting was and how young she had been at the time, but… still a possibility. It was just a painful one. Lorelei might be on the right track.

"Perhaps she didn't know why she recognized you, and thought that maybe she had seen you before at one of Team Rocket's hideouts? So she does remember you, she just… doesn't know why she remembers you."

Steven furrowed his brows. "That doesn't make me feel any better about all this."

He'd rather her blame him for her disappearance than believe him to be one of the criminals who had abused her. To be accused of being a member of such a vile organization was enough to make Steven feel sick in the stomach. He despised evildoers.

He despised anyone who desired to bring harm to those around them.

Team Rocket most of all.

"But…" Steven lifted his head, frown deepening as his steel blue eyes flickered determinedly. He stared in the direction the children had run off. "That just means we have to work even harder to earn their trust."

Even if she doesn't truly remember him, her safety was all that mattered. He was not one to dredge up memories from the past. It would be selfish to make her remember their promise, when he knows some memories are better off forgotten. After his failure, the last thing he wanted was to hurt her anymore than what she already was.

He was here to help.

Steven has spent most of his life following Team Rocket and trying to locate their base of operations, in trying to take down their higher-ranking and more powerful members. In trying to find out whatever happened to the friend he had lost. The least he can do to make up for his past mistake, now that he knows she's alive, is help her take down Team Rocket- just as he's been wanting to do, for the past nine years.

For her, and for all the other innocent children and pokēmon who had been tormented and abused by Team Rocket's hands.

"If they went to Vermillion, then they're probably going to Celadon City next." Lorelei mused, arm crossed over her chest with her other hand resting against her chin. "It might be more efficient to try and intercept them on the way there, rather than chasing them around like this."

Yes, so it seems. With one last sigh, Steven gave a dramatic flourish of his arm, gesturing to the town around them. "You know the Kanto region better than I do, Miss Lorelei. Feel free to lead the way."

…

The underground path was south to the daycare- just as Misty had said.

Thankfully it was big enough for Arcanine to fit through, and after we reached the end of the tunnel and entered a grassy field Blue started to give the fire-type pokémon directions every now and then. With Arcanine's speed and Blue's experience in travel, it took less than fifteen minutes to make it through the green field.

During that time Basil climbed off of Brock and proceeded to drop himself dramatically into my lap, demanding attention.

At that moment, as I rubbed Basil's belly, Brock mentioned something about me needing to change into a different outfit so as to not risk catching a cold again. Face falling into a slightly blank mask, I looked ahead with determined eyes. "We'll do the gym, then head straight to the S.S Anne. I can change on the ship."

Though… I had no idea what it was I would actually change into seeing as I didn't… really have any other clothes.

"One gym done and straight onto another." Blue shook his head, sending me a small look of disbelief from over his shoulder. "You need to slow down, kid."

"I'm not a kid. I'm almost your age!"

"Hate to break it to you, but that means you're still younger than me. That makes you a kid, kid."

I scowled, sending him a glare, but he just laughed. I couldn't remember if we already had this argument or not. Arcanine glanced at us. The pokēmon, finding amusement in our exchange, let out a small howl- almost sounding like he was laughing. His sharp teeth were exposed in a large grin. "One of these days, I'll be taller than you. Then I'll call you kid."

"Ha! Good luck, squirt. Try looking your age first before you start getting any crazy dreams like that."

Brock, sensing the frustration and annoyance starting to bubble within me, placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me down. "Come on, you two. Not right now. We need to figure out a plan for going against Lieutenant Surge. Besides, with my cooking I'm sure El's height will shoot up in no time!"

Pretending not to hear the last part, I looked up at Brock, confused. What he said caught my attention. "Lieutenant?"

He nodded. "Yup. Lieutenant Surge served in the army in Unova for quite some time, and according to the stories... electric-type pokēmon saved his life. He was also a pilot, who trained and used those very same electric-type pokēmon to help power the planes he piloted. Doing so protected him on more than occasion, and after saving the life of the former Vermillion gym leader's son, a fellow army member, he came to Kanto- where the gym leader let him inherit his title. He's been living in Vermilion City ever since."

"He's also incredibly cautious, and has been rumored to set traps up all over his gym." Blue added in. "I fought against him myself a long time ago. It was pretty easy, but, of course, only I can say that."

He smirked, his typical confidence- nearly border lining arrogance- shining through now that he was almost completely recovered.

"I think you'll have no trouble against him, though; especially with those three by your side."

Ansem barked happily, while Belladonna shyly covered her face, Basil holding his chin up high. I looked at my pokēmon, worrying my bottom lip, before reaching out to pet them. "You… guys think you can handle another gym battle so soon? It's really important we get it done as soon as possible."

"Vaa!"

"Ivy!"

"Weepin!"

Yeah, it was hardly a question worth asking. My gaze softened and I held the three of them close. "Then let's make this one a fight to remember. We'll be in-and-out." It wasn't like the gym was going to be full of water like the last one, so it should be fine. "Then we'll head to the S.S Anne and hop off when we get near Celadon City."

When we arrived at Vermillion, Arcanine slowed down- not wanting to knock over any civilians that were outside wandering around. I inhaled shakily, ignoring Brock who was currently trying to dry my bangs off with the handkerchief from before. He was determined to mother me, and in this current position, stuck between him and Blue, there wasn't really any way to escape it. I just sighed and accepted my fate, leaning back into his chest while he grumbled worriedly about me possibly catching sick again.

A few more minutes passed, and we could see the ship docked far in the distance.

It was at that moment that I realized that boarding the S.S Anne would mean being in the middle of the ocean… a large, vast body of water that was- for all intents and purposes- seemingly endless. Misty may have saved me in the gym, but if that ship sunk we would all be dead. We would never recover.

But… to reach Celadon City… maybe even to eventually reach Hoenn… we'll have to board a ship.

Adrien will be turning five soon.

When that happens, his training will begin. I have to get back before then. I have to get all the badges before then. I can't let him suffer like I did. I can't let the other little ones suffer like the rest of us older kids did.

Okay… breathe. Focus.

It's fine. I'm fine.

They'll be fine.

Sliding off of Arcanine once we reached the gym, Blue called back his pokēmon. I stumbled a little, nearly slipping due to my wet sneakers, but Brock was quick to catch me by pressing a hand to my back, holding the egg incubator with his other arm. Setting my pokēmon down, I shook my hands free of any and all jitters and approached the gym- walking through the front doors.

We'll finish this quickly.

To my surprise, though, when we entered the gym, the first thing I saw were several trash cans all lined up. Nearly all of them were colored silver- with the exception of two trash cans, one of which was red and the other blue. Luckily, there appeared to not be any trainers in the gym this time… which meant clearing whatever weird puzzle this was and reaching the gym leader, who was standing behind several blue lasers on a podium, shouldn't be too much trouble.

"We'll wait here by the door, El." Brock said, flashing me a smile. "So you go on ahead."

"Beat him up, squirt!" Blue gave a thumbs up. "The trash cans are probably connected to the lasers somehow, so why don't you check those out first?"

I mean, I sort of figured that was the case…

Approaching the trash cans, I tried to lift one up- only to find it stuck to the ground. There wasn't anything inside of it either. Hmm. I doubted it was anything like the puzzles Team Rocket came up with, but there's probably a switch or two in one of these trash cans. I just have to find them first.

So going from one trashcan to another, I stood on my tiptoes and looked inside- my pokēmon doing the same. Belladonna was hopping up and down, using her bounciness to look inside, while Basil wrapped his vines around Ansem and lifted him up.

After a few minutes, I managed to find a switch- clicking it and turning off one row of lasers- and shortly after Belladonna began shouting.

She was one trashcan away from me, and had seemingly found the last switch.

Rushing over, I gave her a few headpats and a little peck on the top of her head, before nearly falling headfirst into the trashcan trying to hit the switch.

Zzzt!

The last laser disappeared. At that moment, the tiles the trashcans were sitting on began to shake- a loud noise echoing about the gym as the floor began to rearrange itself. As the trashcans went underground, several new tiles slid out and took their place- creating an arena for us to battle.

From the podium up ahead, the man that could only be Lieutenant Surge stepped forward- large muscles bulging as he folded his arms over his chest, his body adorned in a green military uniform. The sides of his head were shaved, but the part that wasn't had his blond hair spiked up. He was also tall- so tall that I could hear Brock in the background exclaim in shock and comment on his height.

"He's huge!"

That was an understatement. Lieutenant Surge was incredibly intimidating, with fierce features and a blue gaze so intense that you wouldn't want directed at you under any circumstances should he happen to be angry. As he approached, I found myself freezing up- more than aware of our physical differences, knowing fully well that if he decided to hurt me I wouldn't be able to fight back.

I would probably keel over and die after the first hit...

After all- Mistress Augusta and Velga were plenty strong on their own, yet they weren't anywhere near his size, in both height and muscle, and I had first hand experience in just how strong their hits were. I barely survived them, which means I wouldn't stand a chance against this guy.

"Well, aren't you a cutie!" Lieutenant Surge said, his words shocking me enough to snap me out of my stupor. I blinked. He laughed loudly, and I flinched when his large hand planted itself atop my head, ruffling my still damp hair. "Aren't you a little young to be challengin' my gym, kiddo? Ah, well, as long as you got the guts and the pokēmon for it; I'll welcome any challenge! Haha! You must have quite the nerve to take me on with your pint-sized power! Those your pokēmon?"

I didn't move. I didn't speak. I just stood there, terrified, unable to stop thinking about all the different ways he could use his immense strength to hurt me. How all it would take is one swift action to snap my neck and leave me for dead.

Lieutenant Surge didn't seem to notice, though. He just glanced down at Ansem, Belladonna, and Basil, and flashed them a big toothy grin. "A pokēmon battle is war, I'll have you know, and you…" He looked back at me, delight writing itself all across his features. "You're just like me, aren't ya? A fellow Unovan. Heh. Don't think I'll go easy on ya, just 'cause we're from the same region!"

When he pulled away, I inhaled a sharp breath of relief and tried to relax. I watched as he stepped back, the man pulling out a pokēball.

"I'll shock you into surrender, so hit me with your best shot, little girl! Voltorb, come on out!"

"Voooolt~!"

As the red-and-white pokēmon appeared, Ansem barked and ran straight up, ready to fight. Alrighty, guess he wants to battle first again. He really likes to tackle gym leaders on his own. "A-Ansem, you know what to do! H-Headbutt 'im!"

"Eeeeevaa!"

Ansem ran towards him and jumped, mercilessly ramming his forehead against the metal body of the Voltorb. As a result, Voltorb went flying- rolling across the room and forcing Lieutenant Surge to hurriedly step out of the way so as to avoid getting hit by his own pokēmon. "That was quite a hit, girlie! Now, come on, Voltorb; get back up and hit that Eevee with a thunderbolt!"

"Voooltooorb!" The pokēmon's expression shifted into one of intense concentration. So intense it almost looked like it was enraged. Sparks began to crackle along its spherical body and Ansem hissed, raising his haunches in preparation of the attack. Letting out a shriek, the Voltorb released the blast of electricity- and Ansem leapt out of the way, just barely avoiding getting struck by lightning. "Vooooolt!"

"Vaa!" Ansem barked, glaring at him.

He didn't wait for my instructions the next round, instead doing what I normally let him do- which is making decisions for himself, and he dashed forward, delivering one final headbutt to the round sphere-shaped pokēmon. His forehead made contact, and the Voltorb went rolling straight into a wall. When Ansem recovered his balance from delivering the hit, he shook out the static electricity in his fur and stood up straight, chin held high.

Ansem grinned, his red eyes flashing proudly. "Eva!"

Lieutenant Surge whistled, calling the Voltorb back into its pokēball. "Impressive! You're not bad, kid. That Eevee's pretty tough; but what about the rest of your pokēmon?"

I looked at Basil and Belladonna, and they shared a look with Ansem. Ansem barked and then ran at me, leaping into my arms. I caught him with relative ease- despite his weight doing its best to knock me off balance. An idea coming to mind, I turned towards the gym leader. I narrowed my eyes. "Two-on-two. Basil and Belladonna verses whatever pokēmon you got left."

"Ha! I like your spunk, kid." He pulled out two more pokēballs, a large grin spread across his face. "Are you ready? Magnemite, Raichu- you're up!"

"Basil, Bella- take 'em down! Leech seed and vine whip!"

I think I was panicking. I was giving orders in my attempt to rush through this battle, instead of just letting them handle things the way they wanted. It seemed to work though, for Magnemite was greatly weakened by Belladonna's attack- the pokēmon being caught and tangled in her vines and then rammed hard into the floor. Basil, meanwhile, had launched several seeds onto Raichu- getting them stuck on its fur- and Raichu squeaked, trying to rub the seeds off of it before they could start doing damage.

Lieutenant Surge seemed both frustrated and pleased. "Magnemite, Thunder Shock! Raichu, quick attack! Bring the Ivysaur down before it can absorb your health for its own!"

"Magneeee~!" The steel-bodied pokēmon began to shake, it's body crackling with sparks. Within moments its entire body was erupting with electricity. "MITE!"

Basil looked up with wide eyes, and hurriedly sent out his vines to try and intercept it.

"Weepin!"

Before it could make contact, however, Belladonna was already there. She took the hit in his place, bouncing high up in the air- and then fell to the ground, paralyzed, leafy arms occasionally twitching. I stared in horror, unable to believe what just happened, and was already rushing over to be by her side as Raichu started to dash forward with its own attack.

Basil was ready this time, however.

Grinding his teeth together, Basil jumped out to the way, leaving Raichu to stumble and slide as it tried to stop its movement. In retaliation, wanting to avenge his friend, Basil shot out his vines and grabbed hold of Magnemite, angrily slamming the pokēmon hard against its comrade, Raichu. Raichu squealed loudly as they both went rolling. When they finally came to a stop, Raichu was the only one still conscious… Magnemite having fainted.

I, meanwhile, was sliding off my backpack and rummaging through it for the medicine Blue had bought for our pokēmon earlier- and I pulled out a paralyze heal. Carefully lifting Belladonna up into my arms, flinching at the electricity that was occasionally crackling off of her, I sprayed her body with the medicine. To my relief, the crackling of electricity began to stop and she started to have control of her limbs again.

Starling me by wrapping her leaves around my shoulder in a quick hug, she nuzzled my cheek before hopping off to join Basil in battle, determined to help her friend once more. "Bell! Weepin! Weepinbell!"

"Saur?"

"Weepin!"

Basil grinned. "Ivysaur!"

They both turned towards Raichu, who was starting to look a little desperate. It glanced back at Lieutenant Surge, who called back his Magnemite, and then faced us- growling. Lieutenant Surge threw out his arm, pointing at Basil and Belladonna determinedly. He seems to have already accepted the outcome of the battle. "Give them one last shock, Raichu! If we're goin' down, we're goin' down fighting!"

His pokēmon agreed.

"Rai…" The orange mouse-like pokēmon hunched over, furrowing its brows as it curled its paws close to its chest.

I was more than alarmed by their stubbornness to fight until all their pokēmon had fainted, but then I remembered the battle with Misty. She had been the same. Brock was the only gym leader so far who didn't want to put his pokēmon through unnecessary pain. Maybe it was because he and his pokēmon weren't particularly fans of battle, maybe it's because Brock was just different, but he was nothing like Misty or Surge.

They were fighters through-and-through.

The colorful spots on Raichu's cheeks began to spark, and soon the stored-up electricity erupted from the pokēmon' body. "CHUUU~!"

As Raichu's thunderbolt came hurtling down, Belladonna jumped in the way and let loose a blast of heavy acid. Raichu avoided it due to its incredible speed, but as Belladonna took on the thunderbolt full-on just like before, Basil prepared an attack of his own. Absorbing the health from Raichu for his own despite not really being hurt, he roared and shot out several vines. This time Raichu failed to dodge them, Basil being just as fast, and the mouse-pokēmon was quickly sent hurtling high up in the air before being slammed harshly against the ground.

Needless to say, Raichu fainted.

Scowling, Lieutenant Surge called Raichu back into its pokēball, then sighed. He looked at me and he ruffled his hair, mildly impressed. "Now, ain't that a shocker?"

I looked away, biting down hard on my bottom lip as I felt a bubbly sensation well up in my throat. I was so intimidated by his appearance earlier I didn't notice, but he had quite the habit of making electric-based puns. It was hard to believe he could say them with a such a straight face.

Still, I made myself ignore it and instead knelt down, holding my arms out to my pokēmon who fought so hard. "Basil, Bella!"

They turned to look back at me, and I felt awful seeing how badly Belladonna was beat up. Part of her body looked burnt- her grassy green leaves all scratched up and looking like a caterpillar had been chewing their way through them. Her wounds didn't stop her from running at me, however, and I caught both her and the much larger Basil in my arms.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I held them close. "You guys were great out there. I-I'll get you patched up all nice on the boat, o-okay?"

"Saur!"

"W-Weepin!"

Belladonna smiled at me through her pain, clearly happy to have won even at the expense of her own health. I genuinely don't understand why we had to force our pokēmon to battle, but to defeat Team Rocket… it needs to be done. Curses. Sniffling a little, forcing my face to go blank, I stood, carefully holding the two up as Ansem jumped on my shoulder and situated his chin and paws quite comfortably atop my head.

Lieutenant Surge approached then, hands on his hips. "For such a lil' cutie, you sure are the real deal. Guess I have no choice; here!" He reached into his pocket and tossed a tiny metal object at me. Hands full, I couldn't catch it- but Ansem was quick to lean forward and snatch it in his mouth. Lieutenant Surge laughed. "The Thunder badge! And as a special treat…"

He fumbled around his pockets for a moment, trying to find something. Pulling out a pen and paper, he scribbled something down. Walking towards me, he dropped the paper atop Ansem's head- snickering as he did so. As he retracted his hand, he snapped his fingers with a playful wink.

"My autograph! Since you're such a good sport and all."

Brock and Blue made their way over to us, and Blue snatched the paper from atop Ansem's head, making a face. "Seriously?"

"Bahaha! Don't worry, don't worry. There's more where that came from." Lieutenant Surge laughed again. "The Thunder Badge itself comes with its own unique prize, anyway. With it you'll be able to teach any compatible pokēmon the incredibly electrifying move Thunderbolt! Make sure to use it if you ever wanna add in some extra shocking factors. Heh."

Brock hummed, holding the Vulpix egg incubator close. "Shocking indeed. Well, that was a great battle, everyone! We should probably start heading out towards the ship though. It might take off without us if we stay here any longer."

"Oh?" That caught the older man's attention. "You're going to the S.S Anne? Better hurry, then. And- hey, girlie!"

He called out just as we started turning to leave. I stopped, looking back at him curiously.

Lieutenant Surge flashed a smile and gave me a two-fingered wave. "Keep workin' hard, ya hear!? Make all us Unovans proud!"

I blinked. Then, feeling incredibly awkward, I gave him a small nod and a thumbs up.

With his laughter echoing about the gym arena, the three of us left the building and headed towards the boat. I let out a sigh of relief as we left, and Blue carefully took Basil from me so I could grab the badge from Ansem's mouth and stick it in my pocket. I'll have to put it in the case properly later when both my hands were free.

"You're getting a lot better at battles." Blue commented as we reached the docks, signs of the Team Rocket goons nowhere to be found. "Looks like you're finally learning how to give them instructions."

I gave an uncertain shrug, not really pleased with the praise he was giving. I despised ordering my pokēmon around. "I just… wanted to get the battle done faster. I don't want to risk him catching up to us."

Blue stared at me, then sighed. He scratched underneath Basil's chin, who began humming happily at the show of affection. "I still think we could take him."

"Not if he's wearing a silver uniform under all that black. " I stated bluntly, surprising him. "I saw him with a friend, too, so he's not alone anymore."

As we neared the sailor that was standing on the docks, guarding the boat entrance, Brock pulled out our tickets and handed it to him.

"Welcome to the S.S Anne!" The sailor greeted cheerfully, taking the tickets and marking a number off on the clipboard he was holding. As I made to follow Brock and Blue aboard the ship, glancing nervously at the water surrounding us, the sailor suddenly held out his arm- stopping me from going any further. I looked up in alarm. "Not so fast! If I've been counting correctly, you're the one hundredth guest joining us aboard the S.S Anne today!"

"Oh. Uh…" Frick. "I-I'm sorry?"

The sailor just laughed. "It's nothing to apologize for! It's something to celebrate! Here- one second. Tada~!" We all turned to watch as the man moved to a nearby box, rummaging through it before holding up an even smaller box. He held it out to me and I hesitantly took it- holding it to my chest. Belladonna helped, grabbing the bottom to make sure I wouldn't accidentally drop it. "Inside that box you'll find a breezy outfit that will let you feel the salty air on your skin! Please, enjoy the cruise to your hearts content!"

"A… breezy outfit?" Blue looked mildly disturbed.

The sailor just beamed. "That's right, you guessed it! It's a kid-sized sailor outfit!"

"Okay, good. I was about to say-"

Before Blue could finish his sentence, Brock hurriedly intervened, flashing the sailor a charming smile. "Thank you so much, sir! El, let's go."

"H-Huh? Oh, uh, right!"

I wonder what that was about.

Oh, wait, sweet mother of Arceus, we're getting on the ship now.

We're on the ship now.

Eeeugh, I don't like it. What made it even worse was that when we walked inside, I could see dozens upon dozens of trainers all gathered together. The crowd was gigantic. I could even hear orchestra music playing, the notes of the string instruments reaching far and wide throughout the cruise ship. I had no doubt that if this ship sunk, all these people would be going down with it.

Unfortunately, I was the only who appeared to be panicking over this possibility.

Blue wasted no time in snatching a tiny sandwich off a tray from a nearby waiter, munching on it, while Brock was left gazing in awe at the scenery- the boy quickly becoming distracted by a nearby woman who was wearing a rather tight dress.

"Remind me to thank Bill again the next we see him." Brock said, expression brightening considerably. "This place is incredible!"

"Yeah, and I'm tired." Blue stated. "Let's go find a room and see about getting the kid changed into clothes aren't still half-wet. We need to tend to Bella's wounds, too, and make sure Basil and Ansem aren't hurt anywhere. They did take on two gym leaders in a row."

"O-Oh, yes, right. Ahem." Brock cleared his throat, looking sheepish. "That's very important."

Belladonna lifted her head up and flashed Blue a warm smile, clearly beginning to take a liking towards the boy. He saw this, but didn't say anything- simply snatching another tiny sandwich and handing it to her to munch on. Basil whined at this, clearly wanting to be fed as well, and Blue jumped- eyes wide at the complaint. He looked down at the pokēmon in his arms. "Wh-What are you-"

"He's hungry too." Brock helpfully supplied, amused. "You can't feed one and not the other."

"That's- I know that, I was just- okay. Here. Where's- aha!"

Blue snatched one last sandwich and fed it to Basil.

But now Ansem started to complain, lightly pawing the top of my head, drawing his ears back in a pout.

Blue groaned. "El, feed your darn pokēmon!"

"I will when my hands aren't full!"

Clearly frustrated, the boy marched off- speaking to the first sailor he saw- and then returned, telling us to hurry up and follow the stranger to our room.

The room was decorated quite beautifully. The two beds that were in the room looked several times more comfortable and larger than the ones that were at the pokēcenter, and there was even an orange sofa to lounge on whenever needed. In the corner of the room was a brown desk, accompanied by a lovely vase of flowers ans well as… a television? Wow. Even the windows were carefully decorated with curtains to match the sofa, giving everyone a view of the world outside.

It was… nothing like I had ever seen before.

"Please, enjoy your stay." The sailor said, bowing his head before exiting the room, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Blue wandered over and plopped down on a bed, Basil laying happily on his stomach- and the boy winced only slightly at his aching ribs before sinking into the mattress. He let out a pleased sigh. "Aw, man, now this hits the spot… I love traveling, but nothing beats sleeping in a nice bed." I guess I have to agree there. I thought the pokēcenter beds were comfortable, especially compared to what I was used to back in the underground base, but these looked ten times more so.

If I wasn't still soaked from the water, I'd have done the same as him and plopped on the bed too.

"Hmm." Brock, having set the egg incubator on a nearby desk, wandered around, opening and closing drawers and cabinets, before coming across a door and opening it. His eyebrows rose high up on his forehead. "Guys, check out the bathroom! It's huge!"

"What?" Blue sat up and I leaned over to see what Brock was freaking out over, my eyes nearly bugging out of my skull. "I-Is that a bathtub?"

Blue, who finally got up and made his way over, gaped. "Holy Tauros! This is some serious celebrity treatment! Bill's connections are insane."

"A little bit, yeah." I said, staring dumbly into the bathroom. "I didn't even know bathrooms could be fancy."

Suddenly, Brock tensed. He then spun on his heel to face me, snatching Belladonna from my arms and Ansem from atop my head, his expression stern. The pokēmon squeaked and mewed, startled from the movement, but otherwise didn't complain. "You go in there and clean up! And change into the sailor uniform when you're done. Dry clothes are better than wet clothes, and I'm not having you getting sick again!"

What? "But-"

"I'll take care of Belladonna. Now shoo!" He waved a hand at me. "Go take a bath! Blue and I will take our baths after you."

I wanted to argue, but seeing his face I knew there was no way I'd win. I just hoped the twisting feeling in my gut would go away soon.

No matter how pretty the rooms are, I didn't like being on the ship at all.

Notes:

I screwed up when I wrote Bill's part with the tickets several chapters ago, so I made Misty remedy my mistake lol. Anyway, that aside, anime Surge is kind of a jerk? But game Surge isn't? So I tried to strike a neat little balance between them. Now he's like a weird... buff uncle figure that likes electricity puns? Wiki specifically called Surge an "American Soldier" and... I thought that was sort of weird, but Unova is based off of New York so I'm assuming he's Unovan. (Surge I hate to break it to you but El has no idea who you are. That autograph means nothing to her)

S.S Anne is heeerrreeeee! (I wonder who gave Misty that there ticket fufufufu)

Also I can not tell you how many freaking different Kanto maps I spent looking at while writing this chapter, trying to figure out how on earth the geography works so I could plot what's gonna happen in the next two or three (?) chapters. I'm still trying wrap my brain around it somewhat. I'm also gonna have to refresh my memory about a certain location in-game. Also, when are these darn eggs gonna hatch? XD New outfit for El! New outfit! I'm gonna have to draw that soon. O.o

(Brock may be the mother hen, Blue, but you are definitely just as protective)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you all think in the comments, and have a wonderful day/night wherever you are! Stay safe! 💕